24th MarchIndependent Socialists in Wellingborough will be hosting a meeting about the Junior Doctors dispute and the future of the NHS. There will be a representative of the British Medical Association and/or a Junior Doctor spokesperson. The meeting starts at 8.00pm in the Rising Sun pub, corner of Canon Street and Mill Road, Wellingborough. Contact Paul Crofts paulcrofts@gmail.com

5th April: Save Northants Services (SNS) meeting. Venue to be decided. If anyone can help with finding one (preferably free, cheap and with good access) please let Paul know paulcrofts@gmail.com

16th April (Sat) People’s Assembly March/Demo for Homes, Health, Education and Jobs. Go to the events page via http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk for details. If anyone is organising a coach let me know and I can advertise it.

20th Feb This Thursday: Demo at against NCC budget cuts. Assemble 9.15 for 9.30 start outside County Hall George Row. Placards will be provided. Please come along, even if for a short while.

25th Feb: The 2014 conference on pay bargaining organised by the TUC and Incomes Data Services will take place on Tuesday 25 February in Congress House. The theme will be “A Decent Pay System” and the event will combine a discussion about the design of a better pay system with realistic guidance and information for union officers. Sessions will cover pay benchmarking, pay progression, performance management, skills and lessons from union successes. The keynote speaker will be Ed Sweeney, recently retired as Chair of ACAS. Unions are able to book places for substantially less than the fee normally charged for equivalent

22nd/23rd March TUC Young Worker’s Conference: The TUC Young Workers Conference is held annually at the home of the TUC, Congress House in London. The Conference allows young trade union members to take part in shaping the work programmme of the TUC Young Workers Forum and inform TUC policy. The conference will discuss and debate motions submitted by TUC affiliates and there will also be a number of workshops on issues relevant to the issues faced by young workers. Before the formal start of the Conference there will be a networking event for women delegates and visitors. This begins at 11am on Saturday March 22nd in Congress House. http://www.tuc.org.uk/node/119510

26th April: Corby Workers’ Memorial Day. GMB Northants Community branch will be holding an event to mark the day. We will be holding it at 1100.am at the Steelworker Statue in James Ashurst VC Square, Corby town centre.

If the weather is poor we will hold it in the council chamber. Speakers will include Andy Sawford and Hannah from Labour Behind the Label who work to help those, particularly in the clothing industry in Asia, who have few if any rights and make the clothes most of wear everyday. We will be entertained before the event by Youth Brass 2000 who played last year and were very well received.

7th June: Women’s Chainmakers’ Festival – advance notice of date.

Useful links and requests for help

Left Unity have produced an International Woman’s Day Broadsheet with a lot of articles on topical issues, three of which have been written by Northampton women: IWD

Barnet Unison and GMB asks you to watch You Tube about the removal of facility time and then sign their petition and consider sending them a message of support from your union: http://youtu.be/ciyhwesraBs